Routes, Planning, & Inspiration for Your North American Road Trip

Travel Planning

6 TIPS FOR
A SAFE ROADTRIP

Roadtrip! What a great idea. Oh, but
wait. What about the weather? And the mountains and black
ice and desert and hail? Oh! And what about the criminals
lying in wait? Sure, road trips can pose some challenges,
but information and a few sensible precautions will have
you safely on the road in no time.

About once a week, I receive an e-mail
that goes something like this: "I am going to drive
from point A to point B. Is it safe?" My first
inclination is to say, "Of course it's safe, for
heaven's sake. People do it every day." But I understand
what the correspondent means. While it is the foray
into the unknown that makes road trips so appealing,
driving can be dangerous, and it is true that road trips
are more risky than amusement-park rides. Fortunately,
there are simple steps you can take to ensure that your
next road trip is safe and sane, while still plenty
adventurous.

Much of the concern I hear centers around
unfamiliar weather and topography. I get urgent requests
for advice from southerners planning to drive across
the Great Plains in winter, certain they're heading
into a frozen oblivion "hundreds of miles from
civilization." Likewise, I hear from New Englanders
who dread crossing ice-covered passes in the Rocky Mountains
and Washingtonians who fear they will shrivel into beef
jerky in Death Valley.

Such fears are not entirely irrational,
of course. My personal nightmare scenarios include being
slammed by a flashflood on a desert highway at night,
and hitting a stretch of black ice on a bridge and falling
into a frozen river below. Since terrifying events can
and do occur on road trips, I resist the urge to say,
"Oh, come on! What's the worst that can happen?"
Instead I offer some perspective and some advice.

Information is the best defense, and there
is plenty of it available. Click
here for resources for obtaining accurate information
on weather, road conditions and other matters of interest
to road trippers. It is quite difficult these days to
drive more than 100 miles on an American road without
coming upon a town or a service station, even in the
once-empty expanses of the West. Cell phone service
is also more prevalent than it used to be. Even so,
you can't always count on it, and it's worth considering
acquiring a CB radio to fill in the gaps and to keep
tabs on nearby professional truck drivers, who regularly
report on road hazards.

After weather and topography come travelers'
fear that they might encounter people who wish them
harm. Foreign tourists and young adults seem to be especially
afflicted with this fear, apparently because they get
many of their impressions about America from Hollywood
movies and press coverage of sensational news. I have
spent nearly 30 years roaming around North America,
and I can think of only three instances when I encountered
individuals who made no secret of their intent to commit
a crime against me. I didn't give any of them the opportunity
to follow through with their threat, but it helped that
I had been aware enough to keep my distance.

It helps to remember that every town in
America is someone's home town, and that most of the
people feel comfortable and even friendly there. While
there are some neighborhoods, particularly in major
cities, that are best avoided, people are basically
the same everywhere. The common-sense personal radar
that serves you in your home town usually works just
fine in someone else's city, as long as you increase
the focus one notch to orient yourself in the unfamiliar
surroundings.

Here are six tips for feeling safe and
sane on the road:

1. Don't advertise your travels.
Avoid leaving road maps in plain sight inside your parked
car; instead, try to look like a local, even if your
license plate isn't. If your vehicle is laden with luggage,
and especially if you have gear stowed on the roof,
park where you can see it from a restaurant or store.
At night, take everything that is in plain view with
you into your motel room.

2. Look like you know where you're going.
When sightseeing, avoid standing on street corners wearing
a befuddled expression while staring at a guidebook
or map. Get a few bearings before you venture out of
the car.

3. Get an upstairs room. At roadside
motels, consider getting a room on the second floor
so you can scan the parking lot before heading down
to your car. (Personally, I prefer first-floor rooms,
so I don't have to lug my gear up the stairs.)

4. Consider the refund policy. If
you stop at an inexpensive mom and pop motel, and there
is a sign at the check-in counter that says, "No
Refunds for Early Check-Out," consider moving on.
I speak from experience when I say that is likely that
the establishment has some unsavory condition that you
won't detect until you're covered with bug bites or
awakened in the night by noises too loud to ignore.
At the very least, ask to see the room before you pay.

5. Use the truck stops. Travel and
truck centers are some of the safest places to stop
and rest. They have 24-hour security and professional
drivers who are used to staying aware and protective
of their vehicles. The only drawback is that they aren't
very quiet. You'll have to get used to the "big-rig
lullaby," because most drivers leave their engines
running even when parked for the night.

6. Chat up the locals. Get local
information whenever you can. Coffee shops, hair salons
and taverns are all good places to chat casually with
residents. Also pick up a local paper or watch the local
television news. Being aware of local current events
will not only help you have more fun, it can also keep
you safe. Participate in the Great
American RoadTrip Forum before you leave town to
gain a local's perspective about the places you will
be driving through.

Road trips are meant to be adventurous
and fun. Channel the energy you're spending on that
worst-case scenario into some sensible precautions,
and you will have a safe, sane and enjoyable trip.